This invention relates to a pipe positioner for aligning drill pipes during drilling while joints are assembled or disassembled. More particularly, this invention relates to a pipe positioner which is especially suited for holding the pipe during angle drilling wherein the pipe positioner telescopes in a linear manner inwardly and outwardly from the mast and has slidable jaw members for engaging the drill pipe that are activated by a single hydraulicl cylinder.
It is known in Hilding, et al., U.S. Pat. No. Re 30,071 to utilize roller members 74-77 which can be actuated by double acting hydraulic cylinders 78 and 79 for gripping drill rod 25. This patent also discloses pivoting arms such as 101, 102, 105 and 106 to provide the suitable actuating linkages. The unit therein described is a tonglike device to be used in conjunction with transferring arms 26 and a spinning device 27 for aligning the drill rods in a drill string. In the Gyongyosi U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,061 a particular indexing apparatus in the form of a wheel 71 is disclosed in conjunction with the drill pipe rack 30 to act as an alignment device. A cut out 73 is employed to engage the upper end of the existing drill string to assure proper alignment. In the Lindstedt U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,116 a particular type of clamping arrangement for drill pipe in a blast hole drill is disclosed such as the upper and lower type clamps 41-44 to be opened and closed by means of a rotating clamp rod 46. The clamp rod is rotated by a hydraulic cylinder 103. All of the foreoing prior art units employ a rotary motion to position the drill rods or pipe with respect to the frame structure of the mast.
The prior art does not provide a pipe positioner which is especially suited for engaging drill pipes during an angle drilling operation. The prior art apparatus utilizes pivoting arm devices which are pivoted outwardly or inwardly from the mast. In addition, the prior art units are multiple component devices which are not susceptible to being easily controlled.
This pivotal motion is undesirable for a pipe engaging member utilized in angle drilling when the loose end of a drill pipe is free to move to a perpendicular position with respect to the ground surface and away from the angled mast. It will be appreciated that to position the pipe in an angled manner with respect to the mast deck, a linear motion is preferred over a resulting arcuate one which would be imparted by the prior art units.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a pipe positioner which is especially suited for holding pipes during an angle drilling operation with a blast hole drill.
It is another advantage of the invention to provide a pipe positioner having a movable frame structure and jaw members which are easily controlled.
It is yet another advantage of the invention to provide a pipe positioner of the foregoing type which is movable linearly into and out of a mast in a telescoping frame structure.
Another advantage of this invention is a pipe positioner which not only will move linearly in and out of a blast hole drill mast but which has jaw members which can be activated by a double acting hydraulic cylinder.
Other advantages are a pipe positioner of the foregoing type which is inexpensive to produce and is of a relatively small size affording the operator a maximum view of a drilling operation.
The foregoing advantages are accomplished and the short-comings of the prior art are overcome by the pipe positioner of this invention for holding drill pipe in an earth drilling machine such as blast hole drills and which is particularly suitable for use in angle hole drilling. A frame member is adapted to support a jaw engaging means for the drill pipe. A frame member activating means is connected to the mast of the earth drilling machine. The frame member activating means is constructed and arranged to provide a linear inward and outward movement of the frame member with respect to the mast. Means are provided to move the jaw engaging means from a pipe engaging position to a non-engaging position. The frame member activating means moves the frame member inwardly and outwardly with respect to the mast and in a telescoping manner. In a preferred manner, the jaw engaging means are defined by slide bar members operatively positioned in a guide frame member. The guide frame member is of a generally triangular configuration and includes guide surfaces for moving the slide bars to guide the bar members in a converging guide path. Also preferrably, the means to move the jaw engaging means is a double acting hydraulic cylinder and includes pivoted linkage means operatively connected to the cylinder and the bar members. Additionally, the means to move the frame members inwardly and outwardly from the mast are provided by hydraulic cylinder means disposed in the frame member and frame support members; and the mast to which the frame member and the frame supporting means are connected is of the tilting type.